It’s another Wednesday and that means it’s time for another author interview. This week I happy to present author B. Rourke. B. Rourke grew up on the prairies of Alberta, Canada and knew she was always meant to tell stories. So let’s get to know this wonderful new romance author.
Welcome B. Rourke, I always ask my guests to share something not in your bio, which we have at the bottom of this interview. So, tell us something us what’s not in the bio, by way of an introduction.
There is so much I could say here! How about this?
Once upon a time, I was a hockey writer. My friends and I ran a rather successful and utterly polarizing blog about the Boston Bruins. When blogging endless game previews, recaps and analysis articles became too much for us to handle, we opted to go the podcast route and were lucky enough to be able to tape a demo for the Bruins organization in which they gave us access to their players and staff. It didn’t go anywhere from the demo, obviously, but being part of it was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.
As a new writer, what excites most about the writing process? What are you most worried about?
The part I love the most is creating characters that people can connect with. I want people to feel about what I write, even if what they feel is hate. Feelings and emotions are the keys for me in all of this.
The piece of crafting novels that has worried me is whether or not to pull back on the details of what I write, particularly in the What He Need series. I’m very aware that my view of what makes a novel dark and uncomfortable has been skewed by the work I do in my full time job and have used friends who don’t work in mental health as touchpoints to help me answer the question of how much is too much. Still, it’s a worry that lingers in my mind as I write but I think it serves to make me more mindful of what drives the plot and what is gratuitous and unnecessary. Rhett's story is hard to read but without that reflection and worry, I don’t think it would have ended up where it has.
You’ve offered up, as your debut novel, a contemporary romance. What draws you to this genre? What do you think will make your novel and your characters stand out?
I love a good love story! I adore that moment where someone looks at someone else and thinks “Yes. I like this person. This is my person.” I adore it even more if that love is a struggle yet perseveres because that, to me, is real. Despite the fact that my book is riddled with angst from cover to cover, I really do love the tender moments between people. Things like the carding of fingers through locks of hair, the cupping of cheeks in strong hands and the soft kisses to foreheads are all reasons why I write romance. Yes, I write sex scenes and that’s always super fun, but what does it for me in the genre is the little things that show love and acceptance.
I think the fact that I’m not afraid to go dark places is kind of what makes my writing stand out. Sometimes things just aren’t pretty and they really don’t have to be. Life is messy and so are people sometimes. I also think that my experiences with mental health, both professional and personal, have helped me craft a realistic story based on what I know. The only caveat to this is that my book is based in Alberta where the mental health care system is utterly broken, something the readers briefly see at the end of To Be Alive whether they recognize it or not, and that brokenness is what will drive some of the crucial events in the second book of the series.
The thing that caught my attention in your bio was that you said, “that you have a soft spot for outspoken misfits, weirdos who crack inappropriately hilarious jokes, and loners who enjoy silence above all else, and you firmly believe that everyone deserves their happily ever after.” Without spoilers, what kind of character flaws are we going to see in, To Be Alive? Clearly I think it’s safe to say that this novel will have some kind of ‘happily ever after’ or are you misleading us?
Oh, there are a lot of flawed characters in To Be Alive! Rhett, the main character, is a hot mess of OCD that manifests physically in disordered eating patterns, Trav is, on the surface, a ball of anxiety shaped like a boy and Hunter is just the saddest little haunted soul. These characters are all products of their environments and their environments have had some harsh repercussions on the way they think and how they learned as they were growing up. They’re very indicative of what I’ve experienced working in the mental health field. Some of my favorite people in my world are the most flawed, the most challenging and the most broken.
This novel has a happily ever after, but it’s definitely a process for the characters to get there. Colt falls for Rhett quickly but their story isn’t all sunshine and rainbows and love the whole way through. There’s definitely struggle and sadness and thunderclouds.
What have you enjoyed the most about the writing process and sharing your stories so far?
Can I be selfish as heck and say that the best part so far has been seeing my name on an actual book that I actually wrote and people are actually reading it? That’s probably the coolest thing ever. Hearing from readers that my book impacted them emotionally has been very rewarding because as stated, that’s my whole goal in writing.
Aside from that my writing process is kind of like a disaster. I can go for days without writing a single word, then have one day where I plunk down 5000 words and up. Consistency in writing habits is not my strong suit!
When you’re not writing what do you enjoy doing? Where can people find you when you’re not behind the computer crafting stories to be consumed?
Outside of writing and my full time job, I can usually be found curled up on the couch with a good book, a cup of coffee and a cat in my lap. I live for music and if my Spotify playlist isn’t blaring through the house that either means I’m sleeping or I’ve died. I like spending time with my family and love dragging my partner to musical theatre shows because he hates them and that he goes with me because I like them warms my little heart.
What was it like growing up on the prairies of Alberta?
Oh, Alberta. Land of cows, hockey and oil! I love it as much as I hate it.
I've always had a bit of a rebellious streak and I think growing up in a small rural town definitely amplified that. It's harder to fit in when you’re the goth kid weirdo in a small conservative town but I was lucky enough to have a decent group of friends to spend time with. We had much more freedom than kids get these days as well. We used to camp out overnight on weekends in one friend's trailer in her backyard and every night we'd leave the camper at around 2am and explore the coulees that ran behind her house before meandering around the town until the sun came up. We didn’t have much fear because everyone knew everyone else for the most part.
I think part of what’s shaped my writing is growing up in a small town. I’ve experienced bullying from people I’ve known since birth and I’ve seen how a small town can sometimes become its own little world unto itself. Deer Lake, the fictional city the What He Needs series is set in, is loosely based on where I grew up.
What can we see coming out from you next?
I have a few things in progress at the moment. Currently, I’m working on the first draft of the second book in my What He Needs series. The focus for this book is Travis but Rhett’s story will also continue in the background.
I’m also really stoked about another book I’m working on. I haven’t decided if it will be a standalone or the start of a new series and I don’t want to give away too many details but I will say that it’s sort of a rock star romance. Kind of. In a way. I suppose.
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It was great getting to know fellow author B. Rourke. I can’t wait to see what she has coming for us in the future. Please remember to drop me a heart/like letting me know you stopped by. If you want to help support me and my writing efforts please consider sharing this post on your social media platforms to help keep the conversation going. Until next time I hope you stay safe and have a great week.
About To be Alive:
At twenty-two years old, Rhett Hawkins lives a life full of secrets and lies. Nobody knows the truth about his childhood growing up in an abusive home, the eating disorder that threatens to take his life, the obsessive thoughts about death that play like a movie in the back of his mind, and the sexuality he hides.
Nobody until he meets Colt, that is.
Police Constable Colt Williams is the only person who ever took the time to look past the lies and see Rhett for who he really is: a damaged, beautiful young man desperate for love and acceptance. When Colt steps in and tries to get him help, Rhett makes a choice that takes him further away from life than he’s ever been before.
With his world turned upside down and his secrets laid bare for all to see, Rhett realizes it’s only by facing death that he can learn what it truly means to be alive.
About B. Rourke:
Born and raised in the wild prairies of Alberta, Canada, B. Rourke grew up knowing she was meant to tell stories. It wasn’t until much later that she realized those stories were meant to star beautifully flawed men learning who they are, overcoming obstacles, and falling truly, madly and deeply in love. B has a soft spot for outspoken misfits, weirdos who crack inappropriately hilarious jokes, and loners who enjoy silence above all else, and firmly believes that everyone deserves their happily ever after.